Prospective Students

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The expense of an education at Trinity is often more than a student and his or her family can meet during the four undergraduate years. The college recognizes this and has established a substantial financial aid program designed to provide assistance to deserving students who want to study at Trinity.

Central to the college’s aid program is the concept of financial need. The college assumes that the parents and the student together will accept responsibility for as great a share of the total educational costs as possible. Where such family resources are inadequate, the college will provide supplementary assistance.

Many students and parents are surprised to learn they qualify for assistance. In one recent first-year class, the median family income of students receiving aid was $83,000. As a general rule, families are encouraged to apply for aid if there are doubts about their ability to finance the education. Approximately 45 percent of Trinity’s undergraduates are receiving need-based financial help from the college.

Funds to support the financial aid program come from several sources. A portion of the college’s endowment has been specifically reserved for scholarship purposes. The college also allocates a part of its annual operating budget toward financial aid. In addition, gifts from alumni, parents, and friends are an important source of funds for grant and loan purposes. Federal Pell grants, Perkins loans, Stafford loans, state scholarships, and private grants are also available. Finally, the college administers a large student employment program.

Trinity College commits to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of the student it admits and the majority of the college's financial aid funding is for students who demonstrate financial need. However, the college has a very small merit aid fund. Students are chosen for these small scholarships through the admissions process. There is no application required for scholarships. All students who apply to the college are considered. All scholarships are awarded at the point of admission. While rare, occasionally funds are available after the point of admission and are offered on a rolling basis.

All student financial assistance is renewable yearly, assuming that a student's family continues to demonstrate calculated need. Financial documentation must be updated each year to provide the college the opportunity to recalculate your need as family circumstances change or college costs rise.

Special note to non-financial aid recipients

On occasion, students who were admitted to Trinity without institutional grant assistance inquire if they may apply for financial aid in a subsequent year. In light of the College’s commitment to continue to meet the calculated needs of students receiving institutional aid, it is unlikely that resources will be available for enrolled students not currently receiving institutional funds. Students are encouraged, however, to apply for all federal and state financial aid for which they may be eligible to receive. Enrolled students who do wish to submit a first-time application for institutional aid should meet with a financial aid administrator to discuss the application process and to review the list of required documents. All applicants must adhere to our published deadline.